Become a problem-solver.
Not a problem-observer.

Yea spotting issues and being critical is great.

But what good does it do if you can’t solve said problems?

Too many are focused on finding problems but don’t spend enough energy on solving them.

Get rid of your blaming habit.

“Ego, how do I do that?”

Make it fun.

Play chess.
Play other strategy games (RISK is a fun one).
Solve jigsaw puzzles.
Solve riddles.

Instead of spending time scrolling on social media?

Do something that is both fun and trains your mind.

Your brain is overly stimulated when you’re on social media.

Video here.
Livestream there.
New notification popping up.

Social media is DESIGNED to keep you trapped on the app.

All of them.

People like to shit on tiktok but all social media platforms are designed that way.

I realized this a while ago but what really shocked me was this:

Whenever I would post on Instagram?

My posts would get more likes if I closed the app.

Because the app wants me to open the notification and check the count again.

But if I stayed on the app, I wouldn’t get as much exposure.

Everyone is battling for your attention.

And the techniques used by social media companies are straight out evil.

Declutter your brain.

Deactivate all notifications and learn to have fun without looking at your phone.

You’d be surprised how much mental space you clear out.

Let’s defeat the gay pill

Never explain anything to someone who’s accusing you of something you didn’t do.

There are many reasons behind.

1. You have nothing to prove:

You know the truth and you know who’s wrong.

If they’re genuine enough, they’ll catch up.

2. Nobody’s ennoscriptd to your energy:

This is self-explanatory.

The more you explain yourself the more you drain yourself…

And guess what?

The less credible you are.

3. People don’t like the truth:

If they reach the point of accusing you, they’ve already made up their mind.

Their bias is too ingrained and established.

Nothing you will say will change what they have in mind.

So again…

Resist the urge to explain yourself.

You look at them in the eyes, you laugh, you brush it off and you move on with your life.

Now of course this doesn’t apply to legal trouble.

I don’t need to say that but understand the situational nature of what I’m saying.

You know what’s true
You know who you are.
You know they are wrong.

You just…

Fuck it, we ball.

Don’t listen to people.

They don’t know any better and most of them just want to hear themselves talk.

They value feeling knowledgeable more than they value giving you proper advice.

And they’re ready to say anything for that.

Don’t believe me?

Log on Twitter and see how many people say the most outrageous shit just for a few likes.

Now there are two lessons in this.

1. Don’t say what you don’t genuinely mean.

Especially if deep down you’re only doing it for attention.

That’s the worst behavior ever.

And a few days, week, months or years down the line…

You will look back and cringe at it.

2. Do shit for the sake of experience

Only ask for advice if you are completely stuck

Looking for advice before getting started is only a way to procrastinate more

It’s a subconscious excuse.

3. Draw lessons from what people do not what they say

As I always say:

Talk is cheap.

And many people’s talk don’t align with their actions.

Focus on what they do if you want to learn from them.

Now there is one last thing to keep in mind.

If you ever ask someone for advice..

Don’t ask them what they think.

Ask them what they did to solve the problem for themselves.

You’ll get a lot more value from it.

And as always..

No matter how tough things get?

Always remember:

We ball.

Sending an email explaining this in about an hour.

Sign up here to get it:

E-go.wtf

The world is ruled by self-interest.

The dumbest people reject this idea.

The evil people focus on short-term interest.

The smartest people know that their own self-interest lies in the long term.

And therefore, they need to have as many people on their side as possible.

Understand this:

Self-interest is not the quick win.

Self-interest is the sustained and incremental growth.

Yes, quick wins feel good.

But if you’re too focused on the short-term, you step on too many toes and make unbecoming enemies.

This is one of the many reasons you can’t sleep on your social skills.

Whether we like it or not, we will always have to deal with people.

Your ability to have allies and friends that have your back is in your long term self-interest.

You need to transcend “transactional” relationships.

I will never say it enough:

Give.
Give.
Give.

Only stop giving when you see that the other side is only there to take.

The bright side is that most people are actually good people.

No matter what the news and mainstream propaganda portrays.

Do not fear people.

Befriend them.

If most people are on your side then your enemies are on the losing side.

It’s a numbers game.

Grand Ego Rising.

Say it back.

Competition exists.

But the bar is extremely low.

If you want to make it in any endeavor you must do more than the others.

But if you take a quick look around you.

Most aren't doing enough.

Those are NOT your competition.

You compete with those doing better than you.

And you learn from them.

You see what they're doing better than you.

And then you get better at it than they are.

Thinking that you're your only competition is a healthy way of getting started.

But it eventually stops working.

It makes you complacent.

It makes you stop trying harder.

You must acknowledge the competition and do more than them.

Competition breeds competence.

They literally come from the same word.

They both come from the latin word "competere"

Which literally means "to come together".

Your competition is on the same path as you.

You must acknowledge it and learn from it.

Competition isn't something to avoid.

At the root of it, there is a form of collaboration.

If you know how to find it.

You become unbeatable.

Raise the bar.

Grand Ego Rising.

Have a blessed week ahead.

Your ego will be a problem if you consider it a fixed thing that never changes.

For your ego to be a driving force, you must internalize the fact that it's an everchanging and evolving idea.

Because that's all it is: an idea.

But not any idea.

The most important one.

The idea you have of yourself.

Now if you believe that it doesn't change?

You're stuck in the past.

You hold onto an ego that no longer exists.

One that does not properly represent you.

Your ego cannot be your enemy if you acknowledge that it's constantly growing.

With every experience you go through, it develops further.

But whether it improves or depreciates?

That's up to you.

It's as simple as deciding whether negative events are character development or trauma.

Learned helplessness is real.

And it's a pattern of thinking.

I need you to understand that your thoughts are completely under control.

You define them.

They don't define you.

Once you make this switch and take control of how your mind operates?

You simply cannot lose.

I don't want you to lose.

Do you want to win?

You cannot lose your drive.
You cannot afford it.

Those moments when you lose direction and willpower are crucial.

You then have two choices:

- Get emotional about it:

Lose your cool.

Find excuses and other bullshit that will keep you from going on.

That’s the easy way out.

- Keep composure and reassess:

Find what’s wrong and fix it.

Because there is always shit to improve.

There are always things you could be doing better.

Now the real problem:

You expect things to stay stable.

Flash news motherfucker:

They will never be.

The road is long, rocky and full of surprises.

When shit’s going too smoothly?

That’s when you should improve the intensity and take on more challenges.

Not when shit hits the fan.

Because if you’re content with it and don’t take on bigger risks and harder projects?

That’s when you lose your drive.
That’s when you lose direction.

The trick is to make it harder before things get out of hand.

Never get comfortable.
Seek discomfort.

Constantly.

That’s how you never feel defeated.

Grand Rising Basedonians, what was your biggest achievement this week?

Explaining this in my next email.

Sign up here to receive it:

e-go.wtf

There is infinite power in being simply able to listen to people without thinking of what you'll answer.

The number 1 thing that will make your conversations 10x better is this.

Not looking for an answer.
Not even trying to answer.

Getting comfortable with silence and just listening.

Let people talk.

They'll love you for it.
And they'll tell you more than you should.

Situational awareness is truly a superpower and the best way to be more present is to limit your own input.

Become an observer so that you can become a better contributor.

Guaranteed increase in social skills.

Don't focus on what you will say next.

Focus on the person in front.

You'll hear a lot of people advising to cultivate mystery to be attractive and charismatic.

The truth is, the best way to actually become charismatic is by being the most straightforward possible and speaking your mind out.

The more authentic you get, the more attractive you are.

The idea that you need to be this mysterious dude is a myth.

Truth is, people can't handle those who are raw and say it as they see it.

Authenticity and honesty are the only way.

Not only does it help you stay in tune with your true self and never holding back

But it also gives you that element that everyone is seeking.

Which is charisma.

The more you try to circumvent it and find shortcuts to get there, the less likely you are to ever achieve it.

Some people think charisma is innate, I think charisma is simply being your true self, without filters and unapologetically.

The less you take them into consideration in your actions, the more people will like you.

The more you align your own thoughts and behavior, the better you will feel about yourself.

If you simply prioritize your own validation over anyone else's, you'll soon realize that it was the only thing you needed.

People will ironically love you for not caring about what they think.

There is no setting boundaries if your ego is weak.

If you don't have ultimate conviction that your boundaries should not be crossed under any circumstance?

Nobody will take you seriously.

You will keep getting disrespected.

Respect yourself.

That's how you set boundaries.
You enforce boundaries.

You treat yourself with respect so that people know your standards.

If you put yourself down?

They won't hesitate to step on you to get what they want.

I'm going to tell you something that you may not realize:

Most people respect other people's boundaries out of fear.

If you're the first one to "let things slide", why would they think twice before disrespecting you?

But if you have a reputation of not being tolerant to bullshit?

They will think twice before even attempting to wrong you.

Because they know:

There will be consequences.

And there has to be consequences to crossing your boundaries.

You cannot be too forgiving.
You cannot be too tolerant.

It will make you miserable.

Now, listen...

This is not about losing your shit.

This is not about uncontrollable anger.

It's about standards.

And those who are not ready to live up to your standards?

They can fuck right off.

Never hesitate to cut out people who won't show respect.

But on the other hand?

Make sure you yourself are a respectful person.

You can't expect what you can't give.

Respect yourself.
Show respect to people.

But once someone doesn't reciprocate this behavior?

No need to sugarcoat it.

You need to be able to stand up for yourself.

Don't be afraid of losing people.

Not everyone is worth being in your life.

Your brainpower is limited.
Your mental space is limited.

And most things DO NOT deserve caring about.

Get your priorities straight.

Don't let the fear of failure paralyze you.
Don't let the fear of missing out paralyze you.
Don't let the fear of being judged paralyze you.

The life you dream of is at the other end of defeating your fears.

And your fears can only be defeated by facing them head-on.

By understanding that "what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger".

Paralysis and inaction have killed more dreams than failure.

What if you fail?

You will bounce back again.

You cannot lose with this mindset.

You can only grow, learn and evolve.

Do not stand in your own way.

Stop caring.

You cannot escape the uncertainties of life.

They will always be there.

So do what has to be done.

Do what fulfills you.

Care less.
Fear less.
Achieve more.
Become more.

There is no secret.

Is ego dangerous?

Is ego an enemy?

Here is what I (strongly) believe to be true.

Ego is dangerous when it's not self-validated.

Ego is simply self-perception.

If you lie to yourself about who and how you are, you will inevitably face problems.

Fact of the matter being that you'll disappoint yourself because your actions won't match your thoughts.

A seemingly big ego, isn't strong if the actions of the person lean towards external validation.

simple example:

Someone buys a very expensive car.

If their ego is self-validated:

They'll test it out in the highway, peak speed and enjoy themselves.

If their ego isn't self-validated:

They'll test it out in a crowded area so people can look at them.

Both cases think they deserve a luxurious car.

Both cases want to have a certain status.

One does it to impress.
One does it to feel better.

Ego is dangerous if at any moment it needs an external POV.

People who need validation are unsure about their ego.

They want to see themselves in a certain way but do not acknowledge their insecurities.

Instead of working on themselves they get wrapped up in trying to please others.

And that's the danger, they start question why they're not validated and as a way to cope, their self-perception gets more and more delusional as their subconscious insecurities grow too.

That creates a big contrast between how the person feels and how they act.

Someone with a strong ego, matches thoughts and actions.

Someone with a strong ego, ignores what's external and enjoy life to the fullest.

Someone with a delusional ego will always expect things from others as if they were in debt to them.

It creates a fake identity and feelings of self-discomfort.

Your ego is strong when it doesn't need social validation.

Your ego is your best friend when you don't lie to each other.

-> When you don't lie to yourself.

It's okay to have insecurities and past traumatizing experiences, it doesn't make you worth any less of yourself.

It doesn't mean you don't deserve to be treated decently.

It doesn't mean you need to bow down to others.

But keep in mind it goes both ways.

You owe no one anything.

No one owes you anything.

You have the right to value yourself without external interference.

In fact you should value yourself without external interference or influence.

Your opinion of yourself will help you in life as long as you don't let others influence it.

And by that, I mean don't tie your worth to how others perceive you or want them to perceive you.

Instead work on becoming your ideal self bit by bit.

The effort you will make on acknowledging your insecurities will grow your self-perception as you will sense the progress and efforts you're making.

Once you do, no one will ever be able to take that away from you.

People with a strong ego do not suffer from the inside.

People with deep rooted insecurities will hide behind a fake ego that they do not believe in.

It's not because someone says that he's better than everyone that his ego is strong.

He wants you to believe he loves himself so you feel obliged to love them too.

They don't love themselves and try to force others to love them so they can feel that feeling.

Little do they know that love comes first from within.

If you don't radiate positivity, you won't get any of it back.

Radiate from the inside.

It's all you need.

Love everything about yourself and improve piece by piece, step by step.

It's the process of genuinely trying to be your best self that gets you closer to self-love and strong ego.

Now that I have explained a bit further, I can clarify:

Ego isn't dangerous.

Showing ego when you have none is dangerous.

Take care of yourself, don't take care of external opinions.

What most people call ego, is deeply insecure feelings that have been put away and never dealt with.

Those are simply cowardice and delusion.

Not ego.

No one needs to validate you.

You need to validate yourself.

When your brain perceives a threat.

It will either put you on a Fight, Flight or Freeze mode.

Everyone knows that.

And most of the time?

The adequate response is to Fight.

Sure some battles are not worth fighting and you should walk away.

But never, ever should you Freeze.

Inaction is an act of submission.

By not reacting to the threat
By not rationally picking the best course of action

You submit to the threat.

You let it happen.

And that's one of the worst things you could do.

You let the threat decide for you.
You just suffer the consequences.

Without having a say in it.

And you end up hating yourself for it.

You end up with regrets.

Nothing is worse than regrets.

The Fight, Flight or Freeze modes are subconscious.

Meaning they're automatic responses.

In those moments?

You HAVE to take control.

Don't just react.

Assess first.

Then, act accordingly.

But keep in mind that Freezing is NOT an option.

Do I have something to gain?

Yes?

Fight.

Do I have something to lose?

Yes?

Is it more than what I have to lose?

Yes?

Then walk away.

Freezing is just not an option.

Do not be passive.

Do not be a spectator.